You decide when Jay Chandrasekhar, of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, hits the Magic Bag on Thursday, April 18. Through the years, Chandrasekhar and the Broken Lizard crew have amassed a loyal fan base using zany and often raunchy humor. Chandrasekhar (pronounced "chan-DRA-sake-har") says the group's comedy comes from a very honest place that fans seem to relate to.

"The five of us are really good friends and we've hung out together for years and years and years, and we wrote all of these jokes just from the time we spent hanging out, so I think a lot of people recognize in us the same kind of vibe they have with their friends," says Chandrasekhar, 45.

FYI: Jay Chandrasekhar will perform at 8 p.m. at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, on Thursday, April 18. Tickets are $20 at the door. Call 248-544-3030. Visit www.brokenlizard.com.

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Although Broken Lizard's movies, such as "Super Troopers" and "Beerfest" are full of bawdy jokes about drinking, smoking pot, and what some would call "frat-guy humor," Chandrasekhar, who met his Broken Lizard partners while in college at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, maintains this wild kind of humor isn't necessarily simple or stupid.

"I think some of the best comedy that you'll find starts in places like frat houses. When you get a hundred guys sitting around all day cracking jokes, some of those jokes get pretty complex and pretty nuanced."

Chandrasekhar, who's from Illinois, says some people underestimate his sense of humor.

"I would say that (his sense of humor) is pretty dry, and a lot of people don't realize when I'm kidding. Maybe that's a defense mechanism, but I like to give it to them straight even when it's very weird, very wild, very strange stuff. I like to keep people going for as long as I can before they realize that I'm f--ing around."

In addition to traveling to do stand-up comedy, Chandrasekhar says he has three films in production: the long-awaited sequel to 2001's "Super Troopers" is in negotiation with the studio and on its twelfth draft. He maintains that draft 12 is far from the final shooting script, though, because a lot of the Broken Lizard crew's trademark humor comes off the cuff. He hopes to start shooting it next year.

Another Broken Lizard sequel "Potfest" is also in early development. At the end of "Beerfest" the characters joke about going to Potfest next. There was so a strong reaction from their fans that Chandrasekhar and the gang couldn't resist penning the sequel, now in early development.

Lastly, Chadrasekhar is working independently on the comedy "Shotgun Wedding" where the Indian-American Chandrasekhar falls for a southern girl and they decide to get married, leading to a culture clash between him and the girl's very traditional -- and very racist -- father.

In addition to doing double duty as an actor and director on Broken Lizard's films, Chandrasekhar brings his directing abilities to many of television's best and most popular shows, such as "Happy Endings," "Community," and "Arrested Development."

"I love it," he said. "You're there for a week or two; you prep it, you rehearse it, you shoot it, and then in four weeks it's on TV."

Chandrasekhar invites fans of Broken Lizard and stand-up comedy alike to the show, promising a very personal, and very hilarious, show -- one where he is not afraid to throw down a gauntlet or two.

"Broken Lizard came and played Royal Oak a couple years ago and we had a great time, so I'm excited to be coming back," he said.

"The show is going to be a mix of stand-up jokes and stories from various films. I might answer a question or two from the audience and then for the couple of people in the crowd who think they might be able to beat me in a beer chug I'll take them on. And I promise you, I'll be walking out of there a winner."